By Naomi Uzor
Dangote has unveiled fortification of its brand of instant noodle with local herbs, and has pushed 1.8 million cartons of the products to Eastern markets.

Musa Danjuma , Production Manager, of the noodles factory in Calabar, who disclosed these, said that fortifying the products with herbs were in response to consumers demand for noodles that can boost their health and nutrition.

“We have fortified the products with herbs that can heal wounds, lower  blood pressure and cure diseases. Garlic, ginger, black pepper, etc are embedded in our products. That’s why they are special compared with competing brands who just use flour, salt, sugar, and that’s all,”

“Although, we are not up to a year in production, yet we produce 4,000 cartons per month, per line.  We have two production lines that delivers 8,000 cases or cartons per month. One line gives 4,000 cases in  8 hours, and through aggressive penetration, yearly,we deliver 1.8 million cases of the products to markets in the Eastern and South- South region of the country,” he disclosed.

He further noted that bulk of their raw materials are locally sourced, stressing: “apart from few things, most of our raw materials are locally sourced.- flour, chicken, salt, sugar,refined palm oil, we get our palm oil from Shri Farm, or Golden Oil, Onitsha.

The salt , flour, sugar are from Dangote stables. Chicken , we get it from Obasanjo Farm, here in Cross Rivers State. So, all these things are locally sourced here.  Others things that are imported are just the garlic flakes and the black pepper which we import to augment as the ones we buy locally  is not enough. Like wise, we get some chilly pepper here and also import to augment.  Our  noodle products has 12 months shelf –life.”

“Our product is better off than other noodles in the sense that the processing is different and richer. Analysis of our noodle shows that the vitamins and mineral are more and are highly fortified product of which there’s no match for it in the market presently,” said Quality Control Managuer, Rotimi Ojagbuwa.

He further noted: “Another competitive edge that we have is that our noodle brands is soupped with chicken extracts, it’s not artificial.  We use a new technology that no other noodle manufactures in the country is  using.

Live chicken is cooked and the extract is poured on the noodles, and, the composition of our seasoning, too, makes the product to be matchless in the sector.  And when you’re eating it, you have the feelings that you are eating chicken.”

On challenges of market penetration, Jackson Obaze, Regional Sales/ Marketing Manager, said “Our market comprises Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Abia including Benue. As you are probably aware, we are knew in the market, and we are doing a lot in terms of market penetration, especially in creating awareness about th product.

When a new products come out, you know the challenges of getting consumers to  accept the product.  Most of items people buy, it’s either they have tested it or they were introduced to it.

Among  Nigerians, to try new things ’s very difficult.  Coupled with the challenges of pricing.  People tell us for instance, it’s new, why don’t you make it so cheap  so that even if I try it and it’s not worth it I would not lost so much.”